I really need something to read. I love science fiction and fantasy. Help!?

Question

I have read Terry Brooks, some Timothy Zahn, Weis and HIckman, Douglas Adams, Christopher Paolini, Elaine Cunningham, Colfer, and some others. Just list your favorites please.

I have read Asimov and Bradbury and Rowling and Tolkein.

Answer 1

I agree with Koobie's advice of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. However, don't stop there! Some Discworld readers are unaware of TP's other books, 'Good Omens' (with Neil Gaiman), the Johnny series, the Truckers/Diggers/Wings trilogy, the Carpet People... those are very funny too.

I also like Piers Anthony, his Xanth series is well-known but I liked the Apprentice Adept & the Incarnations of Immortality better, Xanth getting a bit old after a while.

A very nice book is 'The Fire Rose' by Mercedes Lackey.

Fred Saberhagen writes interesting vampire stories from Dracula's point of view (among others)

Tad Williams has a very nice series Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.

Hope there's something here you'll like! :)

Answer 2

Hey. I'm also a major Christopher Paolini fan. Gone to two of his panels. My recommendations would be either "Twilight" or "The Naming". "Twilight" is by Stephenie Meyer. It's a modern fantasy novel. Vampires. That's the only plot hint I'll give. "The Naming" is the first of a trilogy by Alison Croggon. This is more of the normal medieval fantasy. Though I've never read them, I'm fairly sure it's written like the Tolken books. Also, if you've recently read a lot of 3rd person books then I'd recommend "Twilight" because it being written in 1st person is a really nice break from the normal fantasy.

Answer 3

Have you tried "The Wheel of TIme" series by Robert Jordan? It is a series of eleven books with AT LEAST one more to come. The books centre around several key characters, with the main character, Rand al'Thor, a much-prophesied saviour of the world. BUT the prophecies do not guarantee his victory, they only say that he is the one who COULD save the world.

The first 6 or so books are the best. By later books, the plots and characters are SO complex that it feels like there is very little plot progress being made in each book - re-reading them helps with this as you get everything back in place.

As an added complication, Robert Jordan has experienced some serious health problems of late, which have slowed down his pace of writing and publishing subsequent books. He has also been focussing on Prologue (earlier) books in the last few years, publishing books that add to setting scenes that were already well-enough established in the first book of the series, The Eye of the World.

Despite these drawbacks, I have enjoyed reading each of these books in the series and I look forward to reading the final book(s) - as well as other Prologue book(s) as they come out (probably BEFORE the final book). If you have not yet tried these books, then do give the first book, 'The Eye of the World", a read. If you like it, then there is a rich tapestry of adventure in the subsequent books for to explore before you run out of them. And if you don't like it, well, you have only read one book...!

Personally, I found the characters to be full and fabulously flawed - especially in the later books - making them seem almost real to me. If you do like these books, please let me know!!!

Good luck with finding some new reading material. I look forward to seeing what else has been recommended!

Jara

Answer 4

Ray Bradbury is the author of The Martian Chronicles,Fahrenheit 451,The Illustrated Man

And the book Do android dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick.Its the book that Blade Runner in base off of,and a great read.

All science fiction.

Answer 5

As people have mentioned, Orson Scott Card has several really good series.

More the Science Fiction side are the books about Ender and Bean, The homecoming Series bridges both sides, and the Tales of Alvin Maker are more on the Fantasy side. He also wrote a couple of really stellar stand-alone books such as Enchantment and Pastwatch.

Juliet Marillier writes really good fantasy based on old Irish folktales.

Answer 6

Oh awesome! I would highly recommend "The Illustrated Man" by Ray Bradbury-it's an anthology of short sci-fi stories by the peerless Ray Bradbury-simply amazing-these stories really combine sci-fi with the human element and emotion-these stories are amazing.

I really enjoy all the stories in there. I'm going to also read "Martian Chronicles".

Oh-have you read Isaac Asimov's: "Fantastic Voyage"? Whoa!

Have fun :)

-Alex

Answer 7

The Hobbit
followed up by The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. If you've only seen the movies then you've missed a lot. The books are so, so much better.

Answer 8

If you liked the wacky humour of Douglas Adams, be sure to read some of Terry Pratchett "Discworld" novels. They're bloody genious. As for sci-fi (more serious, unlike Pratchett's books), I recommend Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash" and Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?".

Answer 9

O.K.you have hit a 'gold mine' try Robert A Heinlein,my favorite that he wrote was 'all you zombies' and Stranger in a strange land' were very good he wrote many others too. Clifford Simak did numerous books and I enjoyed all of them. Lawerence Watt-Evans wrote several but try The cyborg and the sources and the sequel was the wizard and the war machine.Eric Flint writes a good stick,try '1632' by him. David Gerrold wrote some real good books and Allen Dean Foster does a good job writing too. happy reading!

Answer 10

Lian Hearn... This is fantasy, but you will love it if you like samurai. It is an awesome story with a ton of characters. It is a three book set and I ate them up.

Also, Orson scott Card for the ender Series, I am sure you read it but it deserves honerable mention.

Lastly, the song of ice and fire... I forget the author, again fantasy but freakin tight.